Almost Alice
by Jenna Cassie Herdz
Summary: Almost a year later, Alice and one of her best friends, Emily Nelthorpe, find themselves in Wonderland, but this time it's only for a fun-filled visit with Mirana and Tarrant. Mad fun could turn into mad love for two of Alice's best friends.
1. Down the Rabbit Hole

**A/N:** welcome to my first Alice in Wonderland fanfic! i don't own it, i only own Emily Nelthrope. i love this movie and i had to write a fanfic on it! anywho, if i get stuff wrong (especially with spelling the special Underland words and names) please tell me. don't be shy. i'm using Almost Alice as the title because after this first chapter, i'll try to incorporate some lyrics from the songs in the Almost Alice cd. and without further adue, first chappie! enjoy!

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_**Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit Hole**_

Emily rushed down the quay toward the _Wonder_ to meet the blonde in blue that rushed down the plank.

"Alice!" Emily called, waving wildly as she shoved through the crowd and Alice looked up at the black-haired, hazel-eyed girl in black that was grinning like mad as she raced toward her when she reached the end of the gangplank.

"Emily!" Alice grinned, throwing her arms around the other girl's neck and both hugging each other until they couldn't breathe. When they stepped away, they entwined their arms and headed down the quay. "Where's mother?"

"She wasn't feeling too well," Emily explained. "She asked if I would come and get you. Where is your luggage?"

"I had it sent ahead," Alice replied. "Is mother alright?"

"Just a head cold," Emily smiled, reassuringly. "Nothing too serious. She's resting now."

"Oh, good," Alice sighed in relief then asked, "How is your brother?"

"Trenton is well," Emily nodded, then smirked, "He asks of you often."

"Does he?" Alice wondered sincerely. "I didn't think he even _noticed_ me."

"Oh, he notices you," Emily smirked with a huge nod and giggled when Alice gave a small frown but glanced away with only a light blush. "Come! You must bring your mother and visit my house tomorrow for tea! My family would _adore_ having the two of you there!"

"Of course!" Alice grinned, hugging her long time friend's arm closer. "I'm sure mother would love the idea!"

"There's the carriage!"

* * *

_The Next Day..._

"I think Trenton certainly enjoyed your company," Emily smiled walking in the garden arm in arm with Alice.

"Really?" the blonde hummed, gazing around as if distracted. "I hadn't noticed."

"Of course you hadn't," Emily retorted, then quickly added, "If my brother asks for your hand you _must_ say yes. Then we will _truly_ be sisters!"

"_If_ he asks," Alice reminded her.

"Oh, he will," Emily nodded, grinning. "He will."

A rustle in the brushes beside her made them both stop and frown slightly as they looked to the bushes that moved all the way down.

"What in the world?" Emily breathed, their arms dropping to their sides as they both crept toward the still rustling bushes. "Do you think it's a rabbit?"

"I don't know," Alice replied, stepping along with Emily, one just as curious as the other.

"Let's follow it," Emily whispered as they watched the bushes rustle violently, then a blur darted out of the brush and around a corner before they could see what it was. Emily darted after it, calling, "Hurry! It's getting away!"

Alice shot off after Emily as they kept the blur in sight, rounding every corner it did, even as it went much deeper into the woods behind the garden. They both stopped when they lost sight of it and looked around in wonder, frowns each.

"Where did it go?" Alice wondered and Emily only shrugged as they both still looked around.

Emily took Alice's hand and they both stepped cautiously deeper into the woods. Looking around at the ground, up the trees and anywhere else their glances happened to catch something moving. Their hands separated as they both circled opposite sides of a tree and Emily sighed as she leaned against it, crossing her arms over her chest with a slight pout as Alice still looked around, curiously.

"Well," Emily sighed, standing again to step closer to Alice, "This was a waste of _time_!"

Alice and Emily shouted in shock as they suddenly fell through the ground and into darkness. Both girls felt themselves falling…falling…falling until dim light surrounded them, but it Emily no comfort. She was surrounded by random objects floating and falling around her. She frowned when she heard the definite sound of echoing laughter and looked to Alice to see that it was _her_.

"Why are you laughing?" Emily shouted, so frightened she couldn't even cry. Alice smiled reassuringly and held out her hand, which Emily latched onto instantly.

"I'm laughing because I never seem to _decide_ when I go there," she laughed, vaguely making Emily frown.

They were floated until they were facing down and when she looked in front of her she gave a gasp and covered her face. They crashed through something and Alice tumbled onto a concrete curve which she knew was a ceiling, and instead of lifting herself up (or down) she glanced around to find Emily. Apparently it didn't matter if she moved or not because she suddenly fell from the ceiling and onto the floor with a grunt onto her back, making her groan. She tried blinking the rattling from her head and when she looked up at the ceiling, she found Emily.

"Alice! Help me!" she called, struggling to free her feet from the small candelabra hanging from the ceiling. "My feet are caught!"

"Be careful!" Alice called, unable to help giggling as she watched her friend flail around in the air by her ankles. "You might be hurt if you fall!"

"I cannot believe you are _giggling_ at me at a time like this!" Emily shouted and crossed her arms, still hanging by her feet.

"If _I_ cannot laugh, then _you_ must," Alice retorted. "If roles were reversed you would be laughing until your side split."

"Even so, I would try to help-!"

She cut herself off with a shout as her feet suddenly came loose and she fell…directly toward Alice.

"Oh, no," the blonde murmured just before she broke Emily's fall and there was a grunt from each girl as they fell to the floor.

Both girls sat up and Emily couldn't help but start laughing as she heard Alice still laughing. Emily sat herself next to Alice and looked around, suddenly noticing that the hole they had fallen through on the floor had disappeared. She frowned before noticing that there were doors surrounding them in the circular room.

"Are you alright, Emily?" Alice smiled as she stood, dusting off her pale blue dress before holding a hand toward her friend.

"If you mean 'Am I hurt?' the answer is 'no'," Emily replied before taking Alice's hand to let the blonde help her to her feet and as she dusted herself off, she added, "If you're wondering if I've gone mad, I think I might have." She looked around at the doors and placed her hands on her hips with a sigh. "Now what?"

"Now," Alice sighed, flipping a curl of her golden hair from her face before continuing, "We need the key."

"Key?" Emily frowned in wonder as she watched Alice look around. She began looking around as well and almost knocked over a small table that suddenly appeared making her frown, but it disappeared when she found a key laying on its glass surface. Picking it up, she turned back to Alice, holding it up and smiling, "_This_ key?"

The blonde looked up at her and smiled as she stepped toward her and Emily handed the small skeleton key to her.

"Thank you, darling," she smiled widely and looked around at the doors before walking toward a curtain and moving it aside.

Emily hurried toward her and looked over her shoulder before Alice knelt down, making the other girl frown when she caught sight of the door. It was so small! How would they fit through there? She pursed her lips to the side and began glancing around the room again as Alice still examined the door. Turning to the table she noticed something on it that hadn't been there before: two small vials with tags on them.

"Alice?" she called, catching the blonde's attention and she looked to the table as well.

"Oh! I almost forgot," she chirped, standing and heading toward the table, taking Emily's hand and pulling her with her on the way. When closer, Emily could read the tags.

"Drink me?" she read aloud with a frown as they stopped next to the table and Alice took one vial, pulling the cork from it.

"You want to fit through the door, don't you?" Alice smiled, putting the vial to her lips and taking a swig of the clear liquid inside, coughing as she swallowed.

"I'm not sure," Emily admitted with a frown, but her eyes soon widened as she watched her friend slowly start to shrink out of her dress. The black haired girl quickly stepped back from the blue pool of fabric and watched in disbelief as a little blonde figure emerged from under the skirts, synching one of her gloves she been wearing around her for a makeshift dress.

"Alice?" she gasped, but the blonde only waved toward the second vial on the table, making the other girl frown for a moment before she looked to the vial and swallowed to slow her pounding heart.

_This is insane!_ she thought to herself, but couldn't seem to keep her hand from reaching for the vial. Swallowing again she popped the cork and held the bottle in front of her to examine it.

"Well, I guess I have no choice, since my friend is the size of a dormouse," she muttered before bringing the vial to her lips and tilting it into her mouth.

The clear liquid was thick, syrupy and instantly burned her throat, making her cough as well. She felt a tingling all through her body and frowned as her surroundings began to seem larger, making her gaze around in shock until the collar of her dress began rising above her head and she was covered in darkness, enveloped in soft, warm material.

"Oh dear," she muttered before she heard a muffled Alice calling for her. "Just a moment!"

Feeling around the material that was her dress, she found one of the gloves _she_ had been wearing and tied it securely around her before climbing out from under her dress to meet Alice.

"Come on," the blonde grinned, the key in one hand and taking Emily's in the other to drag her toward the door again.

"Alice, I can only handle one impossibility at a time!" Emily panted from running when they reached the door, Alice unlocking the door. "I am so _very_ confused!"

"It's good to be confused at times," Alice smiled before swinging the door open and stepping into it.

"Wait! Alice!" Emily hissed as her friend disappeared, but with a defeated sigh she peeked through the open door. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she stepped out to be framed in the doorway and breathed, "Good, _God_."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Alice smiled, taking her friend's hand and pulling her deeper into the multi-colored garden down a tread path.

"Y-Yes," Emily breathed, gazing around in absolute disbelief. She suddenly gripped Alice's hand a little tighter, making the blonde stop and look to her friend in wonder. "Alice, I've gone mad! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Emily," Alice murmured through a smile. "Do you recall the place I told you about when I fell down the rabbit hole little more than a year ago?"

The dark haired girl nodded, her hazel eyes still wide and Alice's smile grew a little wider.

"This is Wonderland," the blonde smiled, and Emily's yes widened even more before Alice turned, still holding Emily's hand as leading her through the garden.

"Now, we must find the others," she said, determination in her tone.

"Others?" Emily frowned, but still let Alice lead her, now being _more_ than curious.

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**A/N:** i know, short beginning. i didn't wanna make this _exactly_ like the beginning of the movie, so i didn't have them eat the cake. and, does anybody know exactly what Alice used to cover herself after she shrank in the movie? i've ben looking all over for it trying to find out...it looks like it might hbe her glove, but it looks different. anyway, reviews?


	2. Alice

**A/N:** new chappie, finally! enjoy!

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_**Chapter 2: Alice**_

Emily clutched to Alice's arm as they slowly walked through the moonlit forest.

"How did it become dark so quickly?" Emily breathed.

"Underland is like that," Alice replied, not afraid at all and Emily couldn't understand it at all. "Sometimes you can't tell up from down."

"As demonstrated in that room we fell into," Emily recalled, looking around, cautiously. "And I thought this place was _Wonder_land."

"That's what I called it when I first arrived," Alice admitted. "Its proper name is _Underland_."

"Well, look what the cat dragged in."

Emily darted her gaze around as both girls stopped and turned to see where the purr had come from behind them. Alice only smiled as a gray cat with bright blue eyes and blue stripes appeared before them on the limb of a tree.

"Alice," he grinned a toothy grin. "You've come back. And you've brought a friend with you. How delightful."

"Hello, Chess," the blonde smiled as Emily hid partially behind her, peeking over her shoulder at the cat.

"Your friend seems a bit skittish," Chessur the Cheshire Cat noticed before his tail passed over him and he disappeared, then suddenly reappeared next to the girls. "What might her name be?"

Emily squeaked in surprise and ducked a little farther behind Alice as the blonde chuckled at her friend.

"Her name is Emily," Alice replied for her frightened friend. "We were headed to Marmoreal, to visit Mirana."

"Well, Tarrant will certainly be happy to see you again," Chessur grinned. "He speaks of you all the time."

"I've missed him too," Alice smiled. "I've missed _everyone_ here."

"And _we've_ missed _you_," Chessur replied. "I'll escort you to the palace. It's been some time since I've been there myself."

"Thanks, Chess," Alice smiled, and the cat floated down the trail to lead them toward Marmoreal.

"Alice," Emily whispered, drawing the blonde's attention. "It's a cat."

"Yes," Alice frowned.

"He's _floating_…and _talking_," Emily pointed out the obvious.

"After our journey down the rabbit hole, haven't you realized, this isn't an _ordinary_ place?" Alice smirked and Emily turned her wide, hazel eyes at her friend.

"Of course but…I still can't believe it," she breathed, looking around in wonder, still clutching Alice's arm. "How did you survive a place like this?"

"I thought it was a dream," Alice confessed. "After a time I started asking if it was real, or if it _was_ just pretend. Absolem helped me find myself, at last. Everyone did, really."

"Helped you 'find yourself'?" Emily frowned in wonder.

"Yes," Alice smiled, nostalgically. "I wasn't the same when I was a little girl. Now that I think about it, none of us are the people we are when we grow up. It's a shame."

"Shame?" Emily echoed. "Why?"

"We don't believe in things the way we used to," Alice explained. "Everything needs to be realistic."

"What's wrong with being realistic?" Emily asked, absently as she still looked around.

"It's not as fun."

* * *

_Marmoreal..._

"Everything is so…_big_," Emily breathed as she and Alice climbed the steps of Marmoreal the next morning, Chessur floating ahead of them.

"Actually, _we're_ so _small_," Alice corrected with a smirk before both girls turned their attention to some movement ahead.

Everything was gleaming in clean white, and the woman heading towards them was no exception. White hair floated and framed a pale face as she glided toward them, her dress seemingly a cloud she was sitting on, her hands propped primly at eye level. Her darkly shaded lips curled in a sweet smile as her dark eyes gleamed to match when she knelt down in front of the girls when they stopped, adjusting her dress gracefully to do so.

"Alice," she smiled in a murmur. "You've returned. And you've brought a friend with you! How delightful! But it seems you've drank a bit too much pishsalver, correct?"

"Correct," Alice nodded definitely before gesturing to Emily and introducing her to the white figure, "This is my best friend, Emily Nelthorpe. She's having a bit of trouble taking it all in."

"I see," the woman nodded, holding her hand toward the girls, palm down to reveal black nails on a pale hand. "I am Mirana, Queen of Underland."

Emily looked up at the currently big woman for the moment, and swallowed before taking one of her fingers into both her hands and bowing at the waist, making the White Queen's smile widen before she turned to Chessur.

"And hello, Chessur," she nearly purred, lifting a hand to stroke his head from between his ears and down the side of his head to scratch his chin.

The cat couldn't help but begin to purr as she scratched him for another moment before he said, "I should get back to my forest. I shall see you again, my Queen. Good night."

The cat evaporated, leaving a cloud of black behind him and making Mirana smile and shake her head before she stood, gracefully. She held her hands down to the girls and Alice took one as Emily took another, the dark haired girl now feeling more comfortable at seeing a somewhat normal person in this very _un_normal place. The queen led the girls toward the entrance to the main hall, by passing it to head into another door.

Emily's eyes fell on everything. She couldn't believe how white and bright everything was. The rooms they passed were pristine and glowing, but she stopped dead in front of one door through which she saw a burst of color coming from one figure. Her hand slipped from Mirana's, but the queen didn't seem to notice…or rather, if she did, _Emily_ didn't notice _her_. She was suddenly fixated on the rainbow of a man sitting at a table scattered with fabric of all shades of white and working very hard on something.

She couldn't keep her feet from moving her deeper into the room as the head of outrageously wild, orange hair bobbed and jerked as the man worked, his back to the door. She stopped when he froze, his shoulders tensing and he quickly turned in his chair, making Emily jump with a start in the middle of the room. She was half startled at the movement, and partially startled at the face that greeted her: a paler than pale face with multi-colored shadow around wide, emerald eyes and bushy eyebrows to match unruly hair. His lips were a delicate shade of pink, and when a sudden smile adorned his face, it showed off a gap between his two front teeth.

"Why, hello there," he smiled, leaning toward her, as she was still quite small. "And who might you be?"

"I-I'm Emily Nelthorpe," she replied, mesmerized by the man's unusual eyes.

"I see," he nodded, and it was then she noticed he had a very slight lisp. "You're quite small, you know? How did you ever make it all the way from wherever you came from at such a stature?"

"Well, I fell down a hole and drank a potion and it made me…like _this_," she presented herself with her arms at her sides.

"Ah!" he grinned, before turning and picking up something from his table top, making her frown in confusion at him. He turned back and leaned toward her again, a small cake in his hand as he gently commanded, "Eat some of this. But only a tiny bite."

Emily frowned in wonder at him then looked to the cake and shrugged. She'd gotten this far through this strange place, what could it hurt to try something that might make her grow again. She didn't take the cake from his fingers, but only stepped close enough to support it in her hands as she took a small bite, as he'd instructed. The cake tasted a bit like cinnamon, but she had no time to dwell on the taste before she was suddenly being lifted from the floor…or rather, _growing_ _away_ from it.

Suddenly very aware of the fact that the glove she'd used to cover herself was ripping, her arms instantly went to covering the parts she didn't want the multi-colored man in front of her to see. Luckily, the few rips that formed in it when she stopped growing her nowhere inappropriate. Then again, the glove had turn into a very skimpy dress, and was anything _but_ appropriate at the moment.

"Oh, dear," the man muttered, his strange eyes wide at her predicament, but he soon stood and pulled off his forest green jacket to reveal another color he'd hidden under it: a deep, turquoise blue dress shirt. He set his jacket around her shoulders and she instantly pulled it closed.

"Thank you," she murmured before looking up at him and her breath caught in her throat as she noticed him standing within an inch of her. She couldn't help but stare at him, and it made him frown in wonder before leaning a bit closer to her and whispering, "Are your eyes stuck?"

"Hm?" Emily hummed, then shook her head to bring herself back to reality, the man jerking back as she made the movement. "I'm sorry. I was just…mesmerized by your appearance, for lack of a better word."

"Mesmerized?" the man frowned, then placed a finger on his lower lip in thought. "Why, that's a _fine_ word. I doubt there could be a better one than that. I'm investigating words that begin with the letter M, like that one, you know? 'Mesmerized.' I quite like that word."

"My goodness!" she gasped, making him frown at her again before she took his hands and examined it. "What happened to your hands?"

"This is from working, silly," the man smiled. "I'm a hatter, you know?"

That shot her gaze to his and he jumped with a start again as she still held his hand and she breathed, "_You're_ the Mad Hatter?"

"Mad…and a Hatter, certainly," he grinned. "How do you know of me?"

"Alice speaks of you all the time," Emily smiled and his eyes widened.

"You know Alice?" he asked excitedly, gripping her hands. "Has she come with you?"

"Indeed!" Emily nodded hugely, and frowned deeply when she noticed his eyes changed to an excited gold.

"Tarrant!"

The pair jumped and turned to the doorway to see Alice hurrying in and Mirana gliding in behind her. Emily released his hand as he turned to them and knelt down to be level with the currently small blonde.

"You've returned, lad!" he grinned, but before he said anything else he took the cake he'd given to Emily and held it out for Alice. "Take a tiny bite of this and you'll turn to your proper, Alice size."

Alice did as she was told and soon _she_ was back to her proper size, as Tarrant had said, and she found herself trying to cover herself as well.

"It seems you two are in need of the proper clothes for your proper sizes," Tarrant noticed as Mirana waved a graceful hand to one of her attendants outside the door. "I'll just whip something up!"

"I wonderful idea, Tarrant," Mirana smiled, taking a white robe from the pale attendant and draping it around Alice who smiled her thank you. "In the meantime, you two should rest. I'm sure you're both exhausted from your trip."

"You have no idea," Emily sighed as Mirana smiled and waved them on to follow her. Emily followed Alice when she headed out the door, but she stopped and turned to Tarrant, who was now working at the table again.

"Did you want your jacket back, Sir?" she called, making him jump and turn to her in his chair with wide eyes.

"Oh!" he chirped before waving her off and turning back to his work. "Don't worry, lass! When I finish up your outfits I'll come for it!"

"Finish-?"

"Well, 'acourse!" Tarrant grinned, spinning around in his chair, his eyes alight. "I said I was going to make them. Now go on with the Queen, I'll find you and Alice later."

Emily frowned before giving a hesitant nod and turning back to the doorway, hurrying to catch up with Alice and Mirana.

"What happened?" Alice wondered as her friend caught up with her.

"Nothing," Emily shrugged, shaking her head.

A familiar scent caught her attention and she frowned in wonder before pulling the collar of the jacket around her shoulders closer to her nose. She inhaled deeply and slowly smiled when she realized the scent was coming from the jacket. It smelled of Earl Grey, her favorite tea.

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**A/N:** there was actually just one line that i used from the song cause i really liked it. reviews?


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